Citrus Salad with Ginger Syrup

I used to think that citrus fruits were seasonless and that oranges, lemons, and grapefruits were naturally available anytime. After a while it started to sink in that certain types of citrus were only around at certain times of year. The giveaway was all the boxes of tangerines and clementines that appeared around the Holidays. I now know that we have Valencia oranges in the summer, limes and lemons in the Fall, grapefruits, Navels, and Cara Cara oranges in the winter and of course, clementines and mandarins for the holidays and early spring. In fact it’s quite amazing to think how many of these golden fruits bursting with vitamin C, are ready for harvest around the darkest, coldest shortest days of the year, just when we need them most.This Citrus Salad with Ginger Syrup celebrates the many seasonal varieties of citrus. Nature really is wonderful.

Preparation

1. In a small saucepan bring water, sugar, and fresh ginger to a boil. Stir, then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep for at least 15 minutes. Pour the syrup through a sieve into a bowl. Discard ginger. Let syrup cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, finely grate 1 teaspoon of zest from the grapefruit, navel orange, and tangerine into a large bowl.

3. Using a sharp knife, cut the tops and bottoms of each citrus, stand upright and cut downward to remove the rind and pith in thick strips. Cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices. Toss the slices into the bowl with the zest and the minced crystallized ginger.

4. Pour the syrup over the citrus slices. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Serve chilled with extra crystallized ginger.

Ann's Tips and Tricks

Eating grapefruit can bring about adverse reactions to many drugs that are widely taken. Certain statins, immunosuppressant and antidepressant drugs all react very badly when mixed with grapefruit. If you take a lot of medication, it is a good idea to check with your doctor to make sure that eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice won’t cause a reaction to any of your drugs. Here’s a link to a short list from the Mayo clinic that will help you to decide if you need to ask.